Blumenthal: What Bush Is Hiding

[kskiska]

In the U.S. attorney scandal, Alberto Gonzalez gave orders, but he also took them -- from Karl Rove, who plotted to turn the federal criminal justice system into the Republican Holy Office of the Inquisition.

By Sidney Blumenthal

Mar. 22, 2007 | Leave aside the unintentional irony of President Bush asserting executive privilege to shield his aides from testifying before the Congress in the summary firings of eight U.S. attorneys because the precedent would prevent him from receiving "good advice." Leave aside also his denunciation of the Congress for the impertinence of requesting such testimony as "partisan" and "demanding show trials," despite calls from Republicans for the dismissal of Attorney General Alberto Gonzales. Ignore as well Bush's adamant defense of Gonzales.

The man Bush has nicknamed "Fredo," the weak and betraying brother of the Corleone family, is, unlike Fredo, a blind loyalist, and will not be dispatched with a shot to the back of the head in a rowboat on the lake while reciting his Ave Maria. (Is Bush aware that Colin Powell refers to him as "Sonny," after the hothead oldest son?) But saving "Fredo" doesn't explain why Bush is willing to risk a constitutional crisis. Why is Bush going to the mattresses against the Congress? What doesn't he want known?

In the U.S. attorneys scandal, Gonzales was an active though second-level perpetrator. While he gave orders, he also took orders. Just as his chief of staff, Kyle Sampson, has resigned as a fall guy, so Gonzales would be yet another fall guy if he were to resign. He was assigned responsibility for the purge of U.S. attorneys but did not conceive it. The plot to transform the U.S. attorneys and ipso facto the federal criminal justice system into the Republican Holy Office of the Inquisition had its origin in Karl Rove's fertile mind.

Just after Bush's reelection and before his second inauguration, as his administration's hubris was running at high tide, Rove dropped by the White House legal counsel's office to check on the plan for the purge. An internal e-mail, dated Jan. 6, 2005, and circulated within that office, quoted Rove as asking "how we planned to proceed regarding the U.S. attorneys, whether we are going to allow all to stay, request resignations from all and accept only some of them, or selectively replace them, etc." Three days later, Sampson, in an e-mail, "Re: Question from Karl Rove," wrote: "As an operational matter we would like to replace 15-20 percent of the current U.S. attorneys -- the underperforming ones ...The vast majority of U.S. attorneys, 80-85 percent I would guess, are doing a great job, are loyal Bushies, etc., etc."

more…
http://www.salon.com/opinion/blumenthal/2007/03/22/attorneys/

[John Q. Citizen]

1. That's a great article. Thanks n/t

[ReadTomPaine]

7. Agreed, K&R.

[exlrrp]

2. Part of a major strategy

Bush is running up against subpoena power for the first time in his presidential career. Resisting any form of oversight will be the hallmark of his administration from now on, like blaming other people for their failures.

[The Wizard]

3. The crime family

references are befitting a crime family, not the Busxxxx. Ugh never mind, they are a crime family disguised as...........

[Mr. Ected]

4. Bush Enjoyed Six Years of Near-Dictatorial Power

Now that the Congress has been infused with oversight capability - and a group of legislators willing to assert their checks and balances authority - Bush is like a possum in the headlights.

I've been praying for this moment since the day he first stole the election in 2000.

[redqueen]

5. The dismissed judges are republics, right?

So how are the republics in America so blindly parroting the 'partisan witch hunt' spew? The republic judges are upset... republic senators are upset... this is so far from a partisan issue... yet still there are those out there who apparently believe it.

I guess by now I should stop being surprised at all at what amounts of BS those people are willing to swallow in order to not have to admit to themselves that they were played for fools.

[Mr. Ected]

6. With A 29% Approval Rating

It's more than "liberals" who think this Prez sucks!

[redqueen]

8. I need to quit watching C-Span in the morning...

every single one of those 29% seems to call in and make all republics sound barking mad.

[RaleighNCDUer]

12. You do realize, don't you, that by calling republicans 'republics'

in this forum you are doing nothing to dismay republicans who do not venture here, but you really piss off people who value the proper use of our language.

What are you, twelve years old?

If you insist on doing as they do, then get it right. We are democrats, who belong to the democratic party. They are republicans who belong to the republican party. If they call us democrats, they are correct. If they say Democrat party, they are wrong. If we call them republics, we sound like idiots. The correct response would be, they are republicans who belong to the Republic party.

Are we trying to out-petty the other side?

[Dhalgren]

14. "Are we trying to out-petty the other side?"

Uh, no, I think you have that covered.

The Queen was simply displaying signs of disrespect toward the fascists - I would think that most everyone here "gets" that. There certainly isn't any reason for insulting her. I'll leave you with this small piece of advice, that has stood me in good stead, lo these many years: "Beware falling foul of the Queen."

[redqueen]

17. Yes, I am twelve.

And you have made me cry with your razor-edged intellect and scathing words of condemnation.

I am right at this moment flagellating myself for my transgression against your wishes for us all to be perfect grammatically-correct little angels, and all republics (*please visualize extended middle finger here*) to be the stupidos.






Good fuckin grief...

[Nevernose]

21. Uh, I'm a a little embarrassed to write this, but

...when you're correcting someone, it's usually a good idea to get it right in your own post first.

If you insist on doing as they do, then get it right. We are democrats, who belong to the democratic party. They are republicans who belong to the republican party. If they call us democrats, they are correct. If they say Democrat party, they are wrong. If we call them republics, we sound like idiots. The correct response would be, they are republicans who belong to the Republic party.

As proper nouns, "Democrats" and "Republicans" should be capitalized.

I really don't want to be involved in the grammar flame wars, and don't particularly care either way. The irony, however, was too good to pass up.

[A Simple Game]

22. Thank you for saying it, I feel the same way. n/t

[themaguffin]

9. W IS Fredo, but lucky us he shares Sonny's bad judgement too

There is NO Micheal or Vito in that family.

[IWantAChange]

10. Seems that when something 'smells' in this admin Turdblossom is @ the center of it

[mikeyj84]

11. Hiding!

Just what is it George Bush and this administration trying to hide, just the admition of not wanting Karl Rove and his ilk not testifying under oath, leads me to believe that they do have something to hide. These little weasels, Bush, Cheney, and Rove remind me of the little turds who,s asses we used to kick in High School because they couldn't get their way and also just for GP's!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[louis-t]

13. I've read that some, if not all USAs fired were in top 10%

for # of prosecutions and convictions. I will search for the article.

[SlowDownFast]

19. ...USAs fired were in top 10%.

That is correct.

[louis-t]

20. Just found out, 3 were in top 10%.

2 more were in top third. If shithead had fired the lowest performing USAs we wouldn't be talking about this.

[Demeter]

15. I'm Less Interested In What Kkkarl Knew, and More In What He DID

as in Obstruction of Justice. And who helped him, as in Bush and Cheney.

[rkc3]

16. Why would anyone worry about giving "good" advice?

There are lots of things bush should worry about - lying your way into a war, politicizing the intelligence community, politicizing the courts and justice department, selling out to war profiteers, selling out to banks and credit card companies, selling out to oil companies, and on and on - worrying about good advice shouldn't be one of them.

I think the committee has given too much time to these thugs - subpeonas need to be issued right now.

[19jet54]

18. A presidency of his own making...

... I hope 'W's next few years, as well as his legacy, is haunting and miserable - Run & Hide like Nixon (both crooks)!

[liberal renegade]

23. A better question would be

what isn't he hiding....